YakkaTech, Inc. is an information technology services firm employing 1,500 people throughout Washington and Oregon. YakkaTech has a consulting division, which mainly installs and upgrades enterprise software systems and related hardware on the client’s site. YakkaTech also has a customer service division that consists of four customer contact centers serving clients within each region. Each customer service center consists of a half-dozen departments representing functional specializations (computer systems, intranet infrastructure, storage systems, enterprise software systems, customer billing, etc.). These centers typically have more than two dozen employees in each department. When a client submits a problem to the center using the online form, the message or call is directed to the department where the issue best applies. The query is given a “ticket” number and assigned to the next available employee in that department. Individual employees are solely responsible for the tickets assigned to them. The employee investigates and corrects the issue, and the ticket is “closed” when the client agrees that the problem has been resolved. If the client experiences the same problem again, even a few days later, a new ticket is issued and sent to whichever employee is available to receive the ticket. A client’s problems are almost always handled by different employees each time, even when the issue is sent to the same department. Furthermore, when a customer center department is heavily backlogged, clients are redirected to the same department at another regional center, where the problem can be addressed more quickly. At one time, YakkaTech operated more than a dozen small customer contact centers throughout the region, because client problems had to be diagnosed and resolved onsite. Today, employees can investigate most software and hardware system faults from the center through remote monitoring systems, rather than personally visit the client. Consequently, eight years ago, YakkaTech amalgamated its customer service operations into four large regional centers. Customer service staff work entirely within the center. When a client visit is required, the ticket is transferred to an individual or team in the consulting business, who then visits the client. YakkaTech’s customer service business has nearly doubled over the past five years, but with this growth has come increasing customer complaints regarding poor quality service. Many say that employees seem indifferent to the client’s problems. Others have commented on the slow response to their problems where the issue requires the involvement of more than one department. Several clients have also complained that they are continually educating YakkaTech’s customer service employees about the details of their unique IT systems infrastructure. Another concern is that about 18 months ago, YakkaTech’s voluntary employee quit rates in the contact centers had risen above the industry average. This shift increased labor costs due to the cost of recruiting new technical staff and the lower productivity of new employees. According to results of an employee survey two years ago (as well as informal comments since then), many employees felt that their work is monotonous. Some also said that they felt disconnected from the consequences ............. Required: 1. What symptom(s) in this case suggest(s) that something has gone wrong? 2. What are the main causes of the symptom(s)? 3. What actions should YakkaTech executives take to correct the problem(s)?
> Thomas Chan hung up the telephone and sighed. The vice president of software engineering at Advanced Photonics Inc. (API) had just spoken to Suzanne Chalmers, who called to arrange a meeting with Chan later that day. She didn’t say what the meeting was a
> Intuition is both an emotional experience and a nonconscious analytic process. One problem, however, is that not all emotions signaling that there is a problem or opportunity represent intuition. Explain how we would know if our “gut feelings” are intuit
> You have been asked to personally recommend a new travel agency to handle all airfare, accommodation, and related travel needs for your organization of 500 staff. One of your colleagues, who is responsible for the company’s economic planning, suggests th
> A management consultant is hired by a manufacturing firm to determine the best site for its next production facility. The consultant has had several meetings with the company’s senior executives regarding the factors to consider when making the recommend
> Can self-leadership replace formal leadership in an organizational setting?
> Describe a time when you practiced self-leadership to perform a task successfully. With reference to each step in the self-leadership process, describe what you did to achieve this success.
> Can a manager or supervisor “empower” an employee? Discuss fully.
> Most of us have watched pizzas being made while waiting in a pizzeria. What level of job specialization do you usually notice in these operations? Why does this high or low level of specialization exist? If some pizzerias have different levels of special
> What can organizations do to increase the effectiveness of financial rewards?
> Waco Tire Corporation redesigned its production facilities around a team-based system. However, the company president believes that employees will not be motivated unless they receive incentives based on their individual performance. Give three reasons w
> Which of the performance reward practices—individual, team, or organizational—would work better in improving organizational goals? Please comment with reference to an organization of your choice.
> Gil Reihana was the chief executive officer of X-Stream, a company he launched in Auckland, New Zealand, six years ago at the age of 25, after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in information technology and management. He had inherited $300,000 and had
> As a consultant, you have been asked to recommend either a gainsharing plan or a profit-sharing plan for employees who work in the four regional distribution and warehousing facilities of a large retail organization. Which reward system would you recomme
> A large organization has hired you as a consultant to identify day-to-day activities for middle managers to minimize distributive and procedural injustice. The company explains that employees have complained about distributive injustice because they have
> Most people think they are “worth more” than they are paid. Furthermore, most employees seem to feel that they exhibit better leadership skills and interpersonal skills than others. Please comment on this human tendency.
> Using your knowledge of the characteristics of effective goals, establish two meaningful goals related to your performance in this class.
> You just closed a deal with an organizational client, and this helps you achieve the target that was set for you by the unit. Use expectancy theory to discuss how the events that will follow may increase your motivation and engagement.
> Everyone who works as an electronic game developer has extrinsic sources of motivation, and most of them also experience some degree of intrinsic motivation. Considering the dynamics of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, what should companies in this in
> Learned needs theory states that needs can be strengthened or weakened. How might a company strengthen the achievement needs of its management team?
> Four-drive theory is conceptually different from Maslow’s needs hierarchy in several ways. Describe these differences. At the same time, needs are based on drives, so the four drives should parallel the seven needs that Maslow identified (five in the hie
> A senior official of a labor union stated: “All stress management does is help people cope with poor management. Employers should really be into stress reduction.” Discuss the accuracy of this statement.
> Two college graduates recently joined the same major newspaper as journalists. Both work long hours and have tight deadlines for completing their stories. They are under constant pressure to scout out new leads and be the first to report new controversie
> In 1904, Ransom E. Olds founded REO Motor Car Company in Lansing, Michigan. He also launched several subsidiaries— Atlas Drop Forge Company, National Coil Company, and Michigan Screw Company, among others—to ensure a reliable supply of parts for REO’s ma
> In this chapter, we highlighted work-related stressors, including organizational constraints (e.g. lack of resources), interpersonal conflict (including harassment), work overload, and low task control. Of course, there are many non-work-related stressor
> Job satisfaction leads to increased job performance. This statement has supplanted earlier thought on how job performance doesn’t necessarily depend on job satisfaction. What has caused the shift in thought over the years, and do you agree with this asse
> It has almost become a mandatory practice for companies to ensure that employees have fun at work. Many workplaces now have fully-stocked lounges, game rooms, funky painted walls, and regular social events. A few even have a slide to travel down to the n
> Recall a traumatic personal event, such as losing a loved one due to an accident or illness, receiving a rejection for an important job or school application, or failing an important assignment. Based on what you have learned in this chapter, discuss wha
> “Emotional intelligence is more important than cognitive intelligence in influencing an individual’s success.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Support your perspective.
> Self-awareness is increasingly recognized as an important ingredient for effective leadership. Suppose that you are responsible for creating a leadership development program in a government organization. What activities or processes would you introduce t
> Describe how a manager or coach could use the process of self-fulfilling prophecy to enhance an individual’s performance.
> During a diversity management session, a manager suggests that stereotypes are a necessary part of working with others. “I have to make assumptions about what’s in the other person’s head, and stereotypes help me do that,” she explains. “It’s better to r
> Several years ago, senior executives at energy company CanOil wanted to acquire an exploration company (HBOG) that was owned by another energy company, AmOil. Rather than face a hostile takeover and unfavorable tax implications, CanOil’s two top executiv
> Imagine a situation of conflict between you and your boss. Discuss how understanding the elements of self- concept, its complexity, consistency, and clarity may be useful in such a situation.
> A young student from the United States is interested in doing international business across China, India, Brazil, and Russia. Discuss how the knowledge of OB can be useful to the student.
> You are manager of a district that has just hired several recent university and college graduates. Most of these people are starting their first full-time job, though most of them have held part-time and summer positions in the past. They have general kn
> People in a particular South American country have high power distance and high collectivism. What does this mean, and what are the implications of this information when you (a senior executive) visit employees working for your company in that country?
> The organization for which you have been working for five years is suffering from a global recession. In response, it changes your compensation structure. Discuss the role of moral intensity, moral sensitivity, and situational influences in this context.
> “All decisions are ethical decisions.” Comment on this statement, particularly by referring to the concepts of moral intensity and moral sensitivity.
> This chapter discussed values congruence mostly in the context of an employee’s personal values versus the organization’s values. But values congruence also relates to the juxtaposition of other pairs of value systems. Explain how values congruence is re
> TransAct Insurance Corporation (TIC) provides automobile insurance throughout the southeastern United States. Last year, a new president was hired by TIC’s board of directors to improve the company’s competitiveness and customer service. After spending s
> Twenty years ago, Hillton was a small city (about 70,000 residents) that served as an outer suburb to a large metropolitan city. Hillton treated city employees like family and gave them a great deal of autonomy in their work. Everyone in the organization
> In 1979, Larry and Bobbie Merritt bought The Cake Box, a small business located in a tiny 450-foot store in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The couple were the only employees. “I would make cakes and Bobbie would come in and decorate them,” Larry recalls. Bobbie Merrit
> For Gilbert LaCrosse, there is nothing quite as beautiful as a handcrafted wood-framed window. LaCrosse’s passion for windows goes back to his youth in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he learned how to make residential windows from an elderly carpenter. He
> Six months ago, Elaine began working at the retail outlet of a local cellular/mobile telecommunication company. Her main role was to help potential customers with queries on products and plans, or existing customers with questions or problems relating to
> Frank Choy is normally a quiet person, but his patience has already been worn thin by interdepartmental battles. Choy joined Resonus Corporation, a hearing aid designer and manufacturer, eight months ago as director of engineering. Production of the late
> Compare and contrast personality with personal values, and identify values categories in Schwartz’s values circumplex that likely relate to one or more personality dimensions in the five-factor personality model.
> Exhausted by the day’s events, Sarah slumped into the chair at her desk. She was feeling very frustrated, and sensed things were starting to fall apart. Silver Lines was such a successful business and they had such an effective team, but things were not
> Conifer Corp. is a sawmill operation in Oregon that is owned by a major forest products company but operates independently of the parent company. It was built 30 years ago and completely updated with new machinery five years ago. Conifer receives raw l
> Scenario 1: The Productivity Dividend Decision As head of the transmission/distribution group (TD group) in the city’s water agency (a government corporation), you have been asked to reduce costs over the next year by a minimum of 3 percent without under
> Cincinnati Super Subs is one of the larger Super Subs outlets, a chain of 300 take-away restaurants in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. This outlet has a restaurant manager, an assistant manager, and several part-time team leaders. The restaurant manager rar
> Read the following interview case. Then, calculate whether Harry will engage in high or “just acceptable” performance effort under the conditions described. Valence scores range from −1.0 to +1.0. All expectancies are probabilities ranging from 0 (no cha
> Diana Gillen had an uneasy feeling of apprehension as she arrived at the Cobb Street Grille corporate offices. Today she was meeting with her supervisor, Julie Spencer, and regional director, Tom Miner, to learn the outcome of her promotion interview for
> Syd Gilman read the latest sales figures with a great deal of satisfaction. The vice president of marketing at Hy Dairies, Inc., a large midwestern milk products manufacturer, was pleased to see that the marketing campaign to improve sagging sales of Hy’
> Bribery of foreign public officials, conspiracy to commit fraud and forgery, money laundering, possessing property obtained by crime, and attempts to secretly smuggle the son of a former dictator into safer countries. Sounds like the plot of a twisted
> Paul Sims was delighted when Ancol Corp. offered him the job of manager at its Lexington, Kentucky, plant. Sims was happy enough managing a small metal stamping plant with another company, but the invitation to apply for the plant manager job at one of t
> All candidates applying for a management trainee position are given a personality test that measures the five dimensions in the five-factor model. Which personality traits would you consider most important for this type of job? Explain your answer.
> It has been said that all employees are motivated. Do you agree with this statement?
> A federal government department has high levels of absenteeism among the office staff. The head of office administration argues that employees are misusing the company’s sick leave benefits. However, some of the mostly female staff members have explained
> Corporate social responsibility is one of the hottest issues in corporate boardrooms these days, partly because it is becoming increasingly important to employees and other stakeholders. In your opinion, why have stakeholders given CSR more attention rec
> A common refrain among executives is “People are our most important asset.” Relate this statement to any two of the four perspectives of organizational effectiveness presented in this chapter. Does this statement apply better to some perspectives than to
> After hearing a seminar on organizational learning, a mining company executive argues that this perspective is relevant to software and other knowledge businesses, but it ignores the fact that mining companies cannot rely on knowledge alone to stay in bu
> “Organizational theories should follow the contingency approach.” Comment on the accuracy of this statement.
> What does evidence-based management mean? Describe situations you have heard about in which companies have practiced evidence-based management, as well as situations in which companies have relied on fads that lacked sufficient evidence of their worth.
> Look through the list of chapters in this textbook, and discuss how globalization could influence each organizational behavior topic.
> A friend suggests that organizational behavior courses are useful only to people who will enter management careers. Discuss the accuracy of your friend’s statement.
> Suppose that you are vice president of branch services at the Bank of East Lansing. You notice that several branches have consistently low customer service ratings, even though there are no apparent differences in resources or staff characteristics. Desc
> Studies report that heredity has a strong influence on an individual’s personality. What are the implications of this influence in organizational settings?
> What is the role of formal and informal networks in organizations interested in undergoing change?
> Web Circuits is a Malaysian-based custom manufacturer for high-technology companies. Senior management wants to introduce lean management practices to reduce production costs and remain competitive. A consultant has recommended that the company start wit
> Discuss the role of reward systems in organizational change. Specifically, identify where reward systems relate to Lewin’s force field model and where they undermine the organizational change process.
> Senior management of a large multinational corporation is planning to restructure the organization. Currently, the organization is decentralized around geographic areas so that the executive responsible for each area has considerable autonomy over manufa
> Employee resistance is a symptom, not a problem, in the change process. What are some of the real problems that may underlie employee resistance?
> Use Lewin’s force field analysis to describe the dynamics of organizational change at Zenefits. The case study at the beginning of this chapter provides some information, but think about other forces for and against change beyond the information provided
> Chances are that the school you are attending is currently undergoing some sort of change to adapt more closely with its environment. Discuss the external forces that are driving the change. What internal drivers for change also exist?
> In Chapter 2, we discussed “values across cultures,” including individualism, collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and achievement orientation. How are these national cultures different from and similar to an organization’s culture?
> Is it possible to have a knowledge of what an organizational culture is before you become a part of the organization? How important is it for you to align yourself with your organizational culture?
> Suppose you are asked by senior officers of a city government to identify ways to reinforce a new culture of teamwork and collaboration. The senior executive group clearly supports these values, but it wants everyone in the organization to embrace them.
> Vêtements Ltée is a chain of men’s retail clothing stores located throughout the province of Quebec, Canada. Two years ago, the company introduced new incentive systems for both store managers and sales employees. Store managers receive a salary with ann
> “Organizations are more likely to succeed when they have an adaptive culture.” What can an organization do to foster an adaptive culture?
> Identify at least two artifacts you have observed in your department or school from each of the four broad categories: (a) organizational stories and legends, (b) rituals and ceremonies, (c) language, (d) physical structures and symbols.
> The CEO of a manufacturing firm wants everyone to support the organization’s dominant culture of lean efficiency and hard work. The CEO has introduced a new reward system to reinforce this culture and personally interviews all professional and managerial
> Some people suggest that the most effective organizations have the strongest cultures. What do we mean by the “strength” of organizational culture, and what possible problems are there with a strong organizational culture?
> Superb Consultants has submitted a proposal to analyze your organization’s culture. The proposal states that Superb has developed a revolutionary new survey to tap the company’s true culture. The survey takes just 10 minutes to complete, and the consulta
> Suppose you have been hired as a consultant to diagnose the environmental characteristics of your college or university. How would you describe the school’s external environment? Is the school’s existing structure appropriate for this environment?
> From an employee perspective, what are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a matrix structure?
> Mechanistic and organic structures are two organizational forms. How do the three types of coordination mechanisms operate through these forms?
> Diversified Technologies, Inc. (DTI), makes four types of products, each type to be sold to different types of clients. For example, one product is sold exclusively to automobile repair shops, whereas another is used mainly in hospitals. Expectations wit
> Leaders of large organizations struggle to identify the best level and types of centralization and decentralization. What should companies consider when determining the degree of decentralization?
> For the past five years, I have been working at McKay, Sanderson, and Smith Associates, a mid-sized accounting firm in Boston that specializes in commercial accounting and audits. My particular specialty is accounting practices for shipping companies, ra
> A team of psychologists at Moscow’s Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP) wanted to learn more about the dynamics of long-term isolation in space. This knowledge would be applied to the International Space Station, a joint project of several countries
> In a random experiment with 50 independent trials with constant probability of success .30, find the mean and standard deviation of the number of successes.
> Which statement is correct concerning one-factor ANOVA? Why not the others? a. The ANOVA is a test to see whether the variances of c groups are the same. b. In ANOVA, the k groups are compared two at a time, not simultaneously. c. ANOVA depends on the a
> (a) Interpret the slope of the fitted regression CarTheft = 1,667 - 35.3 MedianAge, where CarTheft is the number of car thefts per 100,000 people by state, and MedianAge is the median age of the population. (b) What is the prediction for CarTheft if Medi
> (a) Interpret the slope of the fitted regression Sales = 842 - 37.5 Price. (b) If Price = 20, what is the prediction for Sales? (c) Would the intercept be meaningful if this regression represents DVD sales at Blockbuster?
> An estimated regression for a random sample of observations on an assembly line is Defects = 3.2 + 0.045 Speed, where Defects is the number of defects per million parts and Speed is the number of units produced per hour. The estimated standard error is s
> To print 8.5 × 5.5 note pads, a copy shop uses standard 8.5 × 11 paper, glues the long edge, then cuts the pads in half so that the pad width is 5.5 inches. However, there is variation in the cutting process. Set up a control ch
> Which is the correct z value for a two-tailed test at α = .05? a. z = ±1.645 b. z = ±1.960 c. z = ±2.326
> Find the Cp and Cpk indexes for a process with μ = 55.4, σ = 0.1, LSL = 55.2, USL = 55.9. How would you rate the capability of this process? Explain.
> Find the Cp and Cpk indexes for a process with μ = 0.426, σ = 0.001, LSL = 0.423, USL = 0.432. How would you rate the capability of this process? Explain.
> Find the Cp and Cpk indexes for a process with μ = 720, σ = 1.0, LSL = 715, USL = 725. How would you rate the capability of this process? Explain.
